Meson De La Taberna
by Scytherageroses
Summary: Fei-Long is filming a new movie on location in Barcelona. A chance trip to the Meson De La Taberna leads him into the arms of the beautiful matador, Vega, the inescapable yellow flower. As the sun falls on the city, he takes his hand, and lets him take the lead.
**Chapter One**

Barcelona, Spain

He wasn't familiar with the area.

Fei-Long wasn't familiar with Spain, or much of Europe, either. He's been to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit a friend, she showed him around, and he visited his lover twice in Marseille.

A long-distance relationship, if you will. It's not really going anywhere, but he tried to make it work. His lover was a soldier. He got some advice from his Swedish friend on how to date a soldier, but it really didn't help, because her soldier was dead and she was a wreck of a woman.

He wondered if that could have been him.

She tried to put on a brave front, but losing important people, including having a crazy father didn't really help matters, and when he left, he felt relieved. Not that he didn't want to help, but it was out of his hands.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked down the cobble stoned streets of Barcelona City, people watching. On one corner, there were people playing music, a man singing an old Siguiriya accompanied by his guitarists, outside an cafe cante while people danced and handed out flowers to passerby's.

One child with short dark hair and dark eyes ran towards Fei-Long and offered him a yellow flower, wearing a wide smile. "Here you go, sir! They make everyone's day cheerful!"

He spoke in broken English, and he found it rather charming. The boy's face was hidden beneath the large sun hat he wore; it was terribly sunny and warm today. Fei-Long almost opted out of wearing clothes...then he realized he was in public, and that it was probably not a good idea.

Fei-Long nodded and took the flower, holding it close. "Gracias." he said with a smile, making the boy's eyes light up. "Perhaps you'll be met with luck today, kind sir!" he yelled, running away, presumably to hand out more flowers.

"Luck?" Fei-Long said to himself, looking at the flower.

It sure was pretty, yellow, and bold. Gazania, he thought they were called.

"Luck will not find me here.." he said, tossing the flower in the air.

He could still hear the cantador from where he was. A voice so loud, he could feel it in his heart. After all, Siguiriyas aren't happy music. Tunes full of hardship, loss and depression. He wondered if she would have liked it. She liked that music from her home country, and the next one over. The ones about misery and woe, the ones that fit her.

The cold weather, the blizzards never ended for her, and he almost felt guilty about being on sunny beaches and sunny cities.

He was in Barcelona filming a movie. A far cry from his usual location; back alleys and run down sections of Hong Kong, but he didn't mind the travel. After all, he was a fan of travel, exploration was one of his hobbies, and this was no exception.

As he walked further down the city, he soaked in the sights and sounds, the smells, the tastes, having just finished a small appetizer at a local cantina. As with any celebrity, he had to watch his food and drink intake. Hard to do in Spain, but he'd try his best.

He closed his eyes and took in the sounds around him; a couple was arguing outside a clothing store (the woman wanted to buy a dark blue colored dress but she didn't have enough money and the husband refused to buy it for her because he said he needed the money for groceries)-Fei-Long understood enough Spanish to soak it all in, laughing at the poor couple. Wind chimes rang in the wind, along with merchants and fishermen trying to sell their goods to the people walking around.

Every once in a while, he'd move aside for a car to pass, but he otherwise walked in the streets, as the sidewalks were overflowing with people.

in a way, this wasn't much different from home.

Another gust of wind flew past him, messing up his freshly combed hair, not that he minded, it got messed up every time he fought, too, he was used to it. Still, it made him laugh. He adjusted his sunglasses, looking up into the sun, when that yellow flower that he threw away blew past him once more.

"How odd.." he said, watching as it disappeared into the city.

"The kid said luck was right around the corner...I wonder what he meant...not that I believe it in the slightest. If anyone needs luck, it's her, not me."

He checked the time on his phone, 3:30 PM. He still had time, as he didn't need to be at the studio until at least seven.

"Maybe time for another drink." he said to himself, walking into a nicely lit bar named "Meson De La Taberna". The music was loud and the people were loud. The sounds of a good time. It was busy, many couples dancing together, waitresses running around with food and drinks to customers at their tables, the place was buzzing. It was large, and at the end of the tavern, there was a stage where a flamenco performance was going on.

Dancers in bright colored dresses; yellow, red and orange danced across the stage as a man sat at a chair and played his guitar. A band was behind him, following each stroke on his guitar.

The guitarist was wearing a white cotton shirt with purple tights, a large hat hid his face, but he could see blondish brown hair splashed across his chest. A red stash was across his lap, and it looked like blood. It reminded him of a matador.

He played so well, his fingers across the frets so delicately, like he was touching a lover. The music almost wanted to make him get up and dance, if only he knew how to.

He closed his eyes and tapped his feet to the romantic beat, when a waitress walked up to his table. "Hello, sir." she said, her voice purring with a sexy Spanish accent. She was charming, that was for sure, he thought. "What can I get for you today?" "A menu, please?" he asked with a smile. "Of course, right away." she said, leaving his table.

When he looked up, he froze, when he locked eyes with the guitarist.

He couldn't believe it, and he thought the guitarist was looking elsewhere. The tavern was so big, and so many people were walking around, but that stare was unmistakable.

Or was it?

The guitarist rose from his stool and bowed to the cheering crowd. Girls were screaming, and men were whistling, both at his playing, and the beautiful dancers. The man was slender and tall, and Fei-Long could see his muscles through his clothing, perhaps he was a fighter, too?

"Thank you for a beautiful time.." he said, his thick Spanish accent dripping with sexuality.

He took off his hat and looked at the crowd, his blue eyes narrowing with the lights on him, standing seductively. Fei-Long looked up from his menu, nearly losing his breath at the beautiful man on stage.

A Gazania was in his mouth, and he posed, throwing the flower into the crowd.

Girls jumped on each other to catch it, but the flower flew past them, and onto Fei-Long's table.

It couldn't have been a coincidence.

He could almost feel the hate resonating off the women who turned and glared as he looked at the flower in shock. The guitarist had strolled off the stage, but the dancers were still there. Music played over the speakers, along with the sound of dozens of voices around the tavern.

"Luck will still not find me today..." he muttered, grasping the flower, holding it to his chest.

His food and drink made it to his table, and just when he was about to begin eating, his phone rang.

Never missing a chance to talk to his friend, he smiled and answered. Despite all her sorrow, her voice was ironically cheerful. Or maybe it was just her morbid humor.

"So...how's Spain? Have you gotten laid yet?" she asked.

"Sayaka! I have a boyfriend!" he said, shaking his head incredulously. "Oh Fei...come on now. You and Abel are on a break, and you two didn't see much of each other anyway, it's Barcelona, I'm sure there are plenty of gorgeous men out there." she said,"and besides, Abel's not going to find out."

"Like that makes it right." he sighed.

"Anyway..." he added,"how have you been?" "I'm in trouble." she replied with a bitter laugh. He sighed. "What did you do this time?"

"I fell down the stairs at home. The hospital thought it was another suicidal attempt so now I'm stuck. I just tripped over my boots...I want to go home." she replied. "You fell down the stairs..?" he asked. "Yes. Ken and Ryu found me and took me to the hospital because they thought I broke my leg or something. If I was trying to kill myself, I'd do it with a gun or pills and alcohol or something, not by throwing myself down the stairs. Suicide is supposed to be quick and painless." she replied.

"How many times did I tell you that I didn't want you killing yourself, Sayaka, come on now." he snapped. "Watch your tone with me, Fei-Long, I'm not trying to kill myself. I might be a miserable piece of shit, but that doesn't mean I'm dying yet." she said angrily,"anyway, this isn't about me. Go have fun in Barcelona, get yourself a hot boyfriend, and come see me when you get the time."

He was about to reply, but she hung up. "Oh Sayaka..." he muttered, shaking his head.

Little did he know that that phone call managed to get the guitarist's attention.

Grasping his drink, he brought it to his lips, when another man slipped into the seat beside him. Fei-Long looked up from his drink, nearly dropping it when he saw the guitarist from earlier, the one from the stage.

"Hello there." he said, his thick Spanish accent piercing into his heart.

"Hi." Fei-Long said quietly.

He tried to ignore the man who kept staring at him, but found he couldn't. "Can I help you?" he asked. "I've never seen you before. You must be new to Barcelona." the man said with a smile. "Yes, I just flew in this morning." he replied. "I see. And what brought you into Meson De La Taberna?" the man asked.

"Curiosity. I could hear the music from out here, and I figured since I'll be here for a while, I might as well get familiar with Spanish culture." he replied.

The man said nothing, instead, ordered two drinks. "Meravellós.." the man sighed after a while. "So...what have you seen so far?" he asked. "Not much. I've only just been down this road." Fei-Long replied.

He tried not to look up from his meal, as the man's beauty was startling.

But a hand placed on his stopped him, and made him look up, losing his breath at the beauty before him.

"My name is Vega..." he all but purred, causing Fei-Long to gasp and grow flustered. He chuckled and threw his hair back, looking over his shoulder at the envious stares at their table. "Nens.." he said with a laugh, turning back to Fei-Long, who was still staring at him.

He found that look adorable and charming.

"I..my name is Fei-Long." he muttered.

Vega chuckled seductively. "Little Dragon, eh?"

He rose up from the table, looking at the bewildered actor with a smile on his face. "You haven't seen any of Barcelona just yet. Come with me..."

Then his voice dropped to a whisper that nearly made Fei-Long melt.

"Come with me...I'll show you everything you want to see, preciós.."

The two left the tavern, as the yellow flower flew in the wind once more...


End file.
